Billy club with hand guard and personnel immobilizing agent



May 28, 1968 w. R. BLACK 3,385,601

BILLY CLUB WITH HAND GUARD AND PERSONNEL IMMOBILIZING AGENT Filed May19, 1965 M44141; 2 Bmcx Am, WW

Irma/vars United States Patent 3,385,501 BILLY CLUB WITH HAND GUARD ANDPER- SONNEL IMMOBILIZING AGENT William R. Black, La Crosse, Wis.,assignor to Outers Laboratories, Inc., Onalaska, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,928 9 Claims. (Cl. 273-84)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed herein is a billy club comprisingan elongated club portion, an elongated handle portion extending fromone end of the club portion in the same general direction, and a guardwhich is generally located co-eX- tensive with said handle portion andwhich includes a hand protecting part having a triangular cross sectionin a plane generally transverse to said handle portion and partsconnecting said hand protecting part to said handle portion in spacedrelation thereto. The club may contain a personnel immobilizing agentwhich can be selectively ejected through an end of the club.

This invention relates to clubs, and more particularly, to billy clubs.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a billy clubwhich is sufficiently small to be useful in confined quarters, such asin the interior of a car, which is arranged to permit the user thereofto simultaneously write with a pen, and which has a hand guard or shieldfor protecting the users hand, for preventing a blow or cut on the handfrom disarming the user, and for atfording the user sufiicient leverageto prevent the hilly club from being wrestled from the users grasp.

In the disclosed construction, the billy club includes a club portion, ahandle portion, and a shield or hand guard of generally greater widththan the handle portion and connected to the handle portion to provide agap between the shield and the handle portion to receive the hand of theuser.

Another object is to provide a billy club which can be effectively usedfor jabbing and punching as well as for clubbing.

Another object is to provide a billy club which is lightweight andcompact enough to be carried anywhere on the user, to be used in eitherhand and at any angle, and to be held in a ready position in the usershand and still afford use of that hand for doing other things.

Another object is to provide a hilly club which has no sharp edges orcorners which can cut or seriously injure a person struck with the club.

Another object is to provide a billy club which is also adapted to beused as a gas or pepper gun and which can fire multiple shots.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a billy club, with parts brokenaway and in section, showing various of the features of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the billy club shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the hilly clubshown in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the billy club 10 generally comprises anelongated club portion 12 having a generally blunt end 20 shown at theleft in FIG. 1, an elongated handle portion 14 which extends from theother end of the club portion in the same general direction and has alength approximately the same as that of the club portion, and a handguard or shield 16. The club portion 12 is of circular cross section, asshown in FIGURE 3, and includes a generally cylindrical surface 18 whichis well adapted for striking heavy blows and a partially spherical,blunted end 20 which is well adapted for jabbing and poking.

The handle portion 14 can be knurled to facilitate gripping and has across sectional configuration that can best be described by referring toFIGURE 4. Half of the cross section is semicircular as designated by thenumeral 24 and is of the same radius as the circular cross section ofthe club portion 12. The other half of the cross section is generallysemi-elliptical as designated by the numeral 25 and is of reduced radiusrelative to the circular cross section of the club portion 12. The halfof the handle portion 14 having the semi-circular cross section 24defines a semi-cylindrical surface 26 which, in conjunction with thecylindrical surface 18 of the club portion 12, forms a generallycontinuous smooth surface. The half of the handle portion 1 4 having thesemi-elliptical cross section defines a slightly flattened surface 27,which surface facilitates gripping of the handle portion 14. Theflattened surface 27 is smoothly blended into the cylindrical surface 18at the point of transition therebetween. At its other end, and adjacentto the handle portion 14, the club 10 includes a partially spherical end28.

Protection of the users hand is afforded by the guard or shield 16 whichincludes a hand-protecting or covering part 30 generally coextensivewith the handle portion 14 and connecting parts 32 which join thehand-protecting part 30 to the handle portion 14 and the handprotectingpart 30. The opening 33 is of sufficient dimension to receive the handof the user.

The hand-protecting part 30 is of triangular cross section, as shown inFIGURE 6, and is provided with a flat surface 34 which is located inopposed relation to the flattened surface 27 and which is wider than thehandle portion 14. The outer surfaces 36 of the hand-protecting part 30are acutely angularly related to the flat surface 34 and merge with oneanother along a shallow, rounded ridge or crown 38. The edge portions 39defined by the intersection of the respective outer surfaces 36 with thefiat surface 34 are rounded as by suitable radii to avoid sharp edges.

The connecting parts 32 joining the hand-protecting part 30 to thehandle portion 14 are oppositely acutely angularly related to the handleportion 14. Each of the connecting parts 32 has a varying triangularcross section which decreases in size toward the handle portion 14, asshown in FIGURE 2. Adjacent .to the hand-protecting part 30, eachconnecting part 32 has a width approximating the width of thehand-protecting part 30. The width of each connecting part 32progressively decreases to a width at the joinder of the respectiveparts 32 to the handle portion 14 equal to the width of the handleportion. The fiat surfaces 40 of each part 32, in conjunction with theflat surface 34 of the hand-protecting part 30, form a single continuousU-shaped surface to provide a large bearing area for the users hand. Theouter surfaces 42 of each connecting part 32 form a shallow, roundedridge or crown 44, which surfaces 42 and crown 44 are smoothly blendedat one end with the surfaces 3 6 and the corresponding crown 38 and, atthe other end, with the handle portion 14 as by large radii, therebyeliminating sharp corners. Elimination of sharp corners or edges on thehilly club prevents serious cutting and injury to a person strucktherewith. The triangular cross sectional construction of the shield 16atfords structural rigidity even when light-weight materials are used tomanufacture the billy club.

The club portion 12 can be suitably employed to strike or jab with, andthe shield :16, as well as protecting the hand, is useful for strikingblows, or for thwarting blows or attacks.

The billy club 10 can be adapted for use as a gas or pepper gun, asshown in FIGURE 1. The club portion 12 is removably connected, as bycomplementary threads or other suitable means, to the handle portion 14.The club portion .12 includes a central bore 60 and means in the form ofa movable trigger 62 having a cam member 64 disposed in an enlargedportion 65 of the central bore 60. The handle portion 14 includes acavity 66 of sufficient dimensions to house a suitable pressurized tube68 having a contents of a personnel immobilizing agent, such as gas orpepper. The tube 68 includes a standard valve 69 and a nozzlearrangement 70' whereby movement of the nozzle to one side opens thevalve 69 and allows the pressurized contents of the tube 68 to escapethrough the nozzle 70.

With the club portion 12 threadedly connected to the handle portion 14,movement of the trigger 62 toward the handle portion 14 causes the cammember 64 to move the nozzle 70 to one side (as shown in broken lines inFIGURE 7) and thereby open the valve 69. The pressurized contents of thetube 68 will escape through the nozzle 70 and from the club 10 throughthe central bore 60. Accordingly, a multiple number of shots isavailable providing that the contents of the tube 68 are not completelyexpelled by the previous shots.

This invention is not limited to the particular trigger, tube, nozzleand valve arrangement described above, but contemplates any kind ofpressurized tube that can be actuated by any suitable trigger meansoperable by the user of the club to selectively afford one or more shotsof varying duration.

The billy clubs 10 can also be easily adapted for use as a flashlight(not shown) by inserting batteries in the cavity 66 and a bulb in theend of club portion 12. Suitable connections can be provided to thebattery, trigger, and bulb for affording actuation by means of thetrigger.

Various of the features of the present invention are set forth in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A billy club comprising an elongated, blunt-ended club portion, anelongated handle portion extending from one end of said club portion inthe same general direction and having a length approximately the same asthe length of said club portion, and a guard extending approximately forthe length of said handle portion and including a hand-protecting part,and means connecting said handprotecting part to said handle portion inspaced relation thereto.

2. A billy club comprising an elongated, blunt-ended club portion, anelongated handle portion, and a guard which is generally coextensivewith said handle portion and which includes a hand-protecting parthaving a triangular cross section in a plane generally transverse tosaid handle portion, and parts connecting said handprotecting part tosaid handle portion in spaced relation thereto.

3. A billy club in accordance with claim 2, wherein said hand-protectingpart includes a surface in opposed relation to said handle portion andhaving a width greater than the maximum width of said handle portion ina plane parallel to said surface.

4. A billy club in accordance with claim 2, wherein said connectingparts are oppositely angularly related to said hand-protecting part andhave varying triangular cross sections of progressively decreasing sizetoward said handle portion.

5. A billy club comprising a club portion having a generally circularcross section and a partially spherical end, a handle portion having aslightly flattened surface to facilitate grasping thereof, a partiallyspherical end adjacent said handle portion, and a guard including ahand-protecting part of triangular cross section, said handprote'ctingpart including a flat surface having a width greater than the maximumwidth of said handle portion in a plane parallel to said surface, andparts connecting said hand-protecting part to said handle portion inspaced relation thereto with said flat surface disposed in opposedrelation to said flattened surface of said handle portion, said partsbeing oppositely angularly related to said handprotecting part andhaving varying triangular cross sections of progressively decreasingsize toward said handle portion.

"6. A billy club comprising a club portion having a central bore, ahandle portion removably connected to said club portion, extending fromone end of said club portion in the same general direction, andincluding a cavity, a pressurized tube of personnel immobilizing agentdisposed in said cavity and having means for selectively releasing saidagent from said tube through said central bore, and a guard connected tosaid handle portion for shielding the hand of a user.

7. A billy club comprising a club portion having a central bore andtrigger means, a handle portion removably threadedly connected to saidclub portion, extending from one end of said club portion in the samegeneral direction, and including a cavity, a pressurized tube of apersonnel immobilizing agent disposed in said cavity and having a valveand nozzle means located proximate to, and adapted to be actuated by,said trigger means for selectively delivering spurts of the agent fromsaid tube through said central 'bore, and a guard connected to saidhandle portion for shielding the hand of a user.

8. A billy club in accordance with claim 7, wherein said guard includesa hand-protecting part generally coextensive with said handle portionand having a triangular cross section, and parts connecting saidhandprotecting part to said handle portion in spaced relation thereto,said parts having varying triangular cross sections of decreasing sizetoward said handle portion.

9. A billy club adapted to be used as a gas or pep'per gun, said clubcomprising a club portion having a central bore and trigger means, ahandle portion removably threadedly connected to said club portion andincluding a cavity adapted to receive a pressurized tube of personnelimmobilizing agent, and a guard including a handpr-otecting partgenerally co-extensive with said handle portion and having a triangularcross section, and parts connecting said hand protecting part to saidhandle portion in spaced relation thereto, said parts each having avarying triangular cross section of progressively decreasing size towardsaid handle portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,611 4/ 1916 Cilley 27'3--841,994,295 3/1935 Williams 42-'l X 2,195,690 4/ 1940 Bohler 42-12,756,737 7/195'6 Resch 124--1'1 3,025,845 3/ 1962 Cardia et al. 124 l13,241,541 3/1966 Coffey '124-27 RICHARD C. PI NKHA M, Primary Examiner.

